Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Illinois University Restricts Access To Social Media, Online Political Content

Posted by timothy on from the teach-the-controversy dept.

onproton writes Northern Illinois University recently began restricting student access to web pages that contain "illegal or unethical" content which, according to University policy, includes resources used for "political activities...and the organization or participation in meetings, rallies and demonstrations." A student raised concerns after attempting to access the Wikipedia page for Westboro Baptist Church, and receiving a filter message informing him that his access of this page would likely violate the University's Acceptable Use Policy, along with a warning that "all violations would be reviewed." This has lead to questions about whether some policies that restrict student access to information are in the best interest of the primary goal of education.

29 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. More about Indoctrination by jasonrice22 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Perhaps it is because the university is more about indoctrination than education.

    1. Re:More about Indoctrination by fightinfilipino · · Score: 4, Funny

      Perhaps it is because some universities are more about indoctrination than education.

      Fixed that for you.

      only a Sith deals in absolutes.

    2. Re:More about Indoctrination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Our internet usage policy at the labs was ANYTHING that is legal, including porn. You did get told got to a corner and turn your monitor as not to offend anyone with your fetishes. The stories the lab assistants told. Labs were also open to the public, you just had to register and have proof of local permanent residency, and you got booted if a student needed a spot. Any punishment the University could dole out, including expulsion, was able to be overruled by a jury of students, so long as it wasn't over anything illegal by law or not paying your tuition. Very liberal and democratic. The student government had the power to block renovations and new buildings being built. They have a lot of say in the Universities finances, including raising funds from alumni and having new buildings built.

      The student body as a whole had roughly equal power to the management, but everyone was respectful of their duties. I enjoyed working there as a student employee. Administration people were very nice, teachers were nice, co-workers were nice, students were nice. It was a great time.

    3. Re:More about Indoctrination by wisnoskij · · Score: 4, Funny

      I never realised how ironic/hypocritical that statement was until now.

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    4. Re:More about Indoctrination by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I tried to see if that was true, but my university won't let me visit any of the websites that talk about it :(

  2. could've sworn this was not the case by MoFoQ · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

    Supposedly the policy applies to employees not students.

    1. Re:could've sworn this was not the case by wiredlogic · · Score: 3, Funny

      Because an institution of higher learning prefers its workers to be dumb and uninformed.

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    2. Re:could've sworn this was not the case by Stormy+Dragon · · Score: 5, Informative

      That's the schools PR spin, but it's undermined by the fact the policy itself specifically says it applies to students:

      Northern Illinois University information technology resources, including the electronic communications network (NIUnet) on the NIU campus and off-campus education and research centers, computers attached to this network, and any associated computational resource or service are for the use of persons affiliated with Northern Illinois University, including faculty, staff, emeritus personnel, and students in good standing. Information technology resources are provided by the university to further the university's mission of research, instruction, and public service. The use of these resources should be consistent with this mission, this policy, and the University’s other use, security policies, and other applicable regulations including the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (SOEEA). Pursuant to the NIU Electronic Mail policy, the email system may be utilized for personal messages subject to the limitations set forth in these and other applicable policies and to the extent that personal usage does not interfere with assigned responsibilities. By using NIU services, all individuals, including, but not limited to, employees, students, customers, volunteers, and third parties, unconditionally accept the terms of this policy.

    3. Re:could've sworn this was not the case by wiredlogic · · Score: 2

      They blocked the Wikipedia page about the church which is mostly a detailed list of their bigoted views and activities. It isn't illegal or unethical to learn about hateful people. Should they also erase Hitler from history too?

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    4. Re:could've sworn this was not the case by onproton · · Score: 2
      1. I am a bit taken aback at the responses referencing this Huffington Post article - a couple of quick notes:
      2. The University policy restricts access to these websites for students as well as staff, in some cases it is possible to still click through to the page after the filter message, but visitors are issued a warning informing them that accessing the site is likely against policy and, in essence, that that they are being watched (as shown in the source referenced in the article).
      3. I cannot speak to the intentions of the University, but (as seen in other responses here) the policy itself specifically states, "By using NIU services, all individuals, including, but not limited to, employees, students, customers, volunteers, and third parties, unconditionally accept the terms of this policy."
      4. In addition, the accusations presented go deeper than just social media - to the point that any controversial material, or discussion of such material, would be a violation. Again, I cannot say if this is the intention, or speak to how the policy will be enforced, but this is the way the terms are written.
      5. .
      6. I understand that we tend to rely heavily on the media to fact check our news for us - and frankly, I am shocked at the lack of research The Huffington Post seems to have done prior to publishing this article. Simply reading the terms of the policy in question seems to point out numerous contradictions to the University's statements.
  3. Turn it around: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    An AUP governs the use of campus equipment and services.

    I clicked the link and read the article, and there's gasping outrage about how they're "limiting free speech" by telling students they *also* can't use the campus computer systems for things like political messaging, meetings, rallies, or anything else - in other words, no, you can't spam the student body.

    And for those of you who think that it's not right that they'd limit that sort of usage, think long and hard about this:

    - Campus Christian Ministry decides to start spamming the entire campus with pro-life messages.
    - Young Republicans club start spamming the entire campus with messages calling for the impeachment of Pres. Obama.
    - ROTC program starts spamming the entire campus with messages encouraging students to sign up for military service.

    Where's your unfettered free speech now?

    1. Re:Turn it around: by Richy_T · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Doesn't follow. There's a big difference between solicited and unsolicited email.

    2. Re:Turn it around: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't get your point. The summary says they blocked access to Wikipedia articles. Does the university library also cuts out definitions of "communism" (or any other term they are afraid of) from their encyclopedias?

    3. Re:Turn it around: by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 3, Informative

      An AUP governs the use of campus equipment and services.

      I clicked the link and read the article, and there's gasping outrage about how they're "limiting free speech" by telling students they *also* can't use the campus computer systems for things like political messaging, meetings, rallies, or anything else - in other words, no, you can't spam the student body.

      And for those of you who think that it's not right that they'd limit that sort of usage, think long and hard about this:

      - Campus Christian Ministry decides to start spamming the entire campus with pro-life messages.
      - Young Republicans club start spamming the entire campus with messages calling for the impeachment of Pres. Obama.
      - ROTC program starts spamming the entire campus with messages encouraging students to sign up for military service.

      Where's your unfettered free speech now?

      Yeah how dare those conservatives exercise their rights to free speech its not like you can mark them as spam and never hear anything they say again. Hell lets take this a step further lets just curtail all political speech on a public campus, In-fact lets set aside an area where they can say what they think where no one else was to hear it we can call it a free speech zone...

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    4. Re:Turn it around: by wisnoskij · · Score: 3

      What does spamming the entire campus body have to do with accessing a political article on wikipedia?

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    5. Re:Turn it around: by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The right to free speech does not mean a university has to provide the publishing infrastructure to make that speech. By logical extension of your standards universities must also provide spray cans so that students can spray paint their thoughts onto the campus buildings. Also Fred Phelps is not a defender of free speech , he's a serial pest who harrases people at family funerals, I really wish more of his victims used the "fighting words" defense as an excuse to beat the shit out of the repulsive little turd.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    6. Re:Turn it around: by lgw · · Score: 5, Interesting

      right to free speech does not mean a university has to provide the publishing infrastructure to make that speech.

      But this isn't about publishing. This is about web access. What was your point again?

      Also Fred Phelps is not a defender of free speech , he's a serial pest who harrases people at family funerals

      The man is a freaking icon of free speech. Only hateful, harmful, ugly, disagreeable speech needs any protection in the first place. I can't think of a living speaker who offends my more than that guy has. If you don't support his right to free speech, you're simply unclear on the concept.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    7. Re:Turn it around: by Kjella · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The man is a freaking icon of free speech. Only hateful, harmful, ugly, disagreeable speech needs any protection in the first place. I can't think of a living speaker who offends my more than that guy has. If you don't support his right to free speech, you're simply unclear on the concept.

      That's not a two way street. Just because all the speech that needs protecting offends someone doesn't mean all offensive speech should have protection. Threats, libel, slander, fraud and perjury are all forms of speech. Playing loud music at 3AM is arguably a form of expression. The "freedom of speech" card is not absolute in any country on earth, even the US.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    8. Re:Turn it around: by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Funny

      - Campus Christian Ministry decides to start spamming the entire campus with pro-life messages.
      - Young Republicans club start spamming the entire campus with messages calling for the impeachment of Pres. Obama.
      - ROTC program starts spamming the entire campus with messages encouraging students to sign up for military service.

      Where's your unfettered free speech now?

      In my spam folder?

      --
      Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    9. Re:Turn it around: by Adambomb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For all I detest the fact, i still hold that anyone should be free to be a complete fucking idiot. If you hold ultra fundamentalist nutjobs as being limitable speech you are simply paving the way for rationalism to be limited in the advent of a fucking moronic demographic spike. Overestimating future generations is kind of what has fucked america over already.

      --
      Ice Cream has no bones.
    10. Re:Turn it around: by lgw · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Again with the "express". No, let's stay on the topic of "should a university provide students with the ability to read up on controversial political topics?" Of course they fucking should, or what's the point of a university? If a university doesn't exist for the very purpose of providing open access to all the information that there is without any for of censorship, what good is it? Such an institution should receive no accreditation, and no public funds.
       

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    11. Re:Turn it around: by DrEmu · · Score: 2

      For Heaven's sake. There are those of us who have been thinking "long and hard" about this since we went to college 50 years ago. It's a First Amendment violation pure and simple, and the fact that somebody feels they get to "think about it" is disgusting. There is nothing to think about when faced with censorship. It is the fundamental enemy of mankind.

  4. You cannot be surprised? by hackus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Anyone who is stupid enough to pay a University via a banker to become "institutionalized" deserves exactly what they get.

    In the age of the internet, if you have to pay someone to sit you in a room and teach you like a trained monkey you have serious problems that go way beyond education.

    Universities are sort of like the last DINO's that hung around after the big rock thing from the sky happened. In this case the rock is the formation of the modern internet.

    I would pay about $500 bucks for a Bachelors degree, max for the outside chance a University actually provided something I can't do myself with a Internet connection.

    --
    Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
    1. Re:You cannot be surprised? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In the age of the internet, if you have to pay someone to sit you in a room and teach you like a trained monkey you have serious problems that go way beyond education.

      I'll actually say that's quite wrong. At least it is for me anyways. I actually learned networking from the Cisco Network Academy at my local community college. The teachers there combined their literally decades of field experience with Cisco's curriculum, and I can honestly say just from that alone I probably know more than some of the people I've worked with in the past who themselves have been in their jobs for decades, and are where they are from learning it the way you describe...in fact some of the things I've seen some people do wrong are just downright scary from a security perspective.

      Now if you want to make that argument about typical schools with high tuition rates, there's a ring of truth to it. I don't know why, but I often find that the more people spend on their education, the worse it is. There are outliers of course, but it tends to be the rule that if you paid a lot for your education, then you paid too much.

    2. Re:You cannot be surprised? by Mitchell314 · · Score: 2

      Which is why I want my doctors to be solely educated by google! And the folks who build the planes and cars I ride in.

      --
      I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
  5. Could someone please explain to me by PJ6 · · Score: 3, Informative

    exactly what is "illegal or unethical" about the content of the Wikipedia article on the Westboro Baptist Church?

  6. If the entire student body... by istartedi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If the entire student body doesn't shut down the school, or at least picket the office and generate some arrests, they should be horribly ashamed.

    At the University of Virginia, the Board of Visitors fired the president in an unwarranted way. Student protest helped get her reinstated. If student action can do that, I'm pretty sure it can get such an absurd policy overturned. You just have to have the brains to recognize it, and the balls to pursue it.

    Anyway, shame on the students if this is allowed to stand.

    --
    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    1. Re:If the entire student body... by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If the entire student body doesn't shut down the school, or at least picket the office and generate some arrests, they should be horribly ashamed.

      In a situation like this there are so many people complicit in intellectual censorship that the only way to deal with it and maintain the school's reputation is to have a special investigator find everybody who signed off on it, everybody who could have objected, and everybody who was complicit and did not specifically and provably object to it, and fire them for cause. Then fire everybody who tries to cover it up and impede the investigation.

      I sure wouldn't send my kid there given the current leadership. Tweaking any one policy will leave the same anti-intellectual stooges in control of the school. There's either a strong pro-intellectual signal sent or the status quo remains.

      So, what's the Board of Trustees' position on this? Typically they don't want to rock any boats and do nothing about such incidents - they love to get wined and dined, collect a stipend, and rubber stamp administrative decisions while occasionally approving a hire of a search firm to find a new President. The old days of active Trustees are nearly extinguished.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  7. I'm wondering about protocol by Voyager529 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    According to one of the comments in TFA, https:/// worked fine, so they were only blocking HTTP. This leaves all the other suspects to their devices - the cornucopia of IM clients, VPN traffic, torrent traffic, usenet, diaspora/retroshare, in-game discussion via Steam or Second Life, IRC, etc. Sure, some of those are summarily blocked, but it seems they're doing such a poor job of acting in malice that I'd deem it sufficient to chalk the issue up to incompetence instead.